Can top for drinks cans

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a can top for drinks cans. Conventional drinks cans, which are mostly made from tinplate, have a top section with an opening and an upper can edge rolled outwards. The aim of the invention is to improve the drinking properties of said drinks cans. According to the invention, the can top possesses a fixing section with an upper edge stop and a raised stop arranged in the lower region, such that the can top can be fixed to the can edge. Furthermore a drinking section is provided which is formed in one-piece on the fixing section and thus extends in the form of a beaker over the upper edge stop of the fixing section.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims benefit of PCT Application Serial Number PCT/EP01/05947, filed May 23, 2001, which is the International Phase Application claiming priority to German Patent Application Serial No. 100 25 737.2 filed on May 25, 2000.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The invention relates to a lid for beverage cans having a top section with the upper can rim rolled outwards, whereby this lid includes a top section overlapping the upper can rim, surrounding one upper edge stop at the crimp and including at least one raised stop and a beaker-shaped drinking section formed on the top section.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Beverage cans have long been known that are used for the sale of non-alcoholic beverages and beer. This type of beverage can is usually made of thin (non-ferrous) metal, and is used as a single-use package for the beverage involved. The same type of can is used to package other liquids (e.g., motor oil). These cans have in common the fact that they possess a top section in which a sealed opening is provided that may normally be opened by the user pulling a pull-tab. This top section is mounted on the top of the usually cylindrical can, whereby the connection between can wall and top section is achieved by means of a crimped edge that appears as a rolled edge rolled outward. This special connection process between the top section and can wall is not the subject of this patent.

[0004] Although these beverage cans are very popular since they offer a cheap, light, and strong package for liquids, and if properly made, are suitable for a recycling process, they have a decisive disadvantage. A large number of end users do not accept these cans because drinking from them can be difficult, and the danger exists with a mostly full can that the liquid may spill on the user as it is being emptied from the can. This problem with drinking the contained liquid or spilling the contents results from the fact that the top section is positioned essentially on the upper end of the can, directly above the liquid, so that no flow and compensation area is provided for the exiting liquid. This is because one opening is available for liquid to flow out and through which air can flow back in to compensate for the pressure, the liquid will flow out unevenly when the can is tilted too much the.

[0005] Further, the user often finds it unpleasant to touch the can rim directly to his mouth, since it may have become contaminated during transport and sale. Particularly with the most frequently sold type of these beverage cans in which a part of the top section consisting of thin metal is ripped away with the pull-tab, the opportunity to injure oneself is presented due to the sharp edges around this opening in the top section.

[0006] When such beverage cans are sold, beverage containers of plastic are often selected instead in order to prevent this hazard, thus canceling the particular advantage of the reduced amount of packaging material. Also, existing problems are solved only to a limited degree, since there is also a risk of spilling the liquid when pouring it into a separate glass. Also, it is hard to handle since, in order to pour the liquid, either the glass must be placed on a level surface, or two hands must be used. When the beverage cans are used outdoors, this inconvenient manipulation is undesirable.

[0007] From other beverage packages it is known that only one very small hole is provided in the top section, through which a drinking tube such as a straw may be inserted into the beverage container. Removal of liquid is then possible only with difficulty. Also, certain types of beverages, particularly carbonated ones like cola or mineral water are not suited for storage in paper or plastic containers, and such beverages are often unsuited to the use of a straw because they are prone to foaming.

[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,851 describes a drinking accessory for beverage cans that is supposed to allow its use with beverage cans of various diameters, whereby three conventional diameters are assumed. In order to achieve a fairly good seal between the drinking accessory and the beverage can, very tight radial seating of the drinking accessory is required. A very tight radial seating of the drinking accessory onto the beverage can is also required to secure the drinking accessory to the can in filled condition because of its weight. It is intended to provide the drinking accessory with a handle so that the beverage can may be held by it. With the practical application of such an additional part one sees, that the wall thickness must be relatively thick to accept the necessary pressure forces. This, however, results in a high degree of stiffness of the drinking accessory, higher materials cost, and increased weight. The necessary forces that the user must exert in order to attach the drinking accessory to the can rim are high, and may easily lead to spillage from an open can. Also, the stiff drinking accessory cannot compensate for manufacturing tolerances and temperature-related dimension changes, so that the connection leaks even with minor tolerance differences.

[0009] DE 299 15 165 U1 shows a lid for beverage cans that consists of a beaker-shaped hollow body with a collar connected to it. At the transition from the hollow body to the collar are several radial clamping lugs projecting inwards. These clamping lugs provide at best inadequate attachment for the top, and no leak proof connection. Therefore, based on an advantageous embodiment, an additional shrink foil is required that is shrunk over the lid and the beverage can. This means, however, that this lid must be emplaced by the manufacturer, and the can is suitable only for one-time use.

[0010] GB 865 259 also describes a lid component for beverage cans. It is shaped like a sleeve that includes a radial slot and a radial strike bead in its interior. The upper part of the sleeve expands conically. To attach the lid, the can rim must be inserted into surrounding slot and to a surrounding lip. If one adheres to manufacturing tolerances the same above-mentioned disadvantages come into play (leakage, contamination of the can wall and fingers or the user's clothing). In order to achieve a relatively effective seal, the lid must be made of a very flexible material that is deformed by placing it against the mouth, which in turn may also lead to leaks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The challenge for this invention is to produce a lid for a can that may be easily affixed to the can, that is inexpensive to manufacture, and that provides a leak proof connection with the can at all times in spite of tolerance differences, so that liquid leakage at the can rim is prevented.

[0012] This task is solved by a lid in which the upper edge stop has a conical shape in that the upper area of the top section is increasingly convex inwards and turns into a circular opening whose aperture diameter is slightly smaller than the diameter of the upper edge of the can.

[0013] Such a lid has the advantage that it extends the beverage can upward in beaker shape during use. The top section of the can thus forms the bottom of this beaker-shaped extension, while the lid represents the walls of the beaker. A particular problem exists in producing the lid simply and cheaply yet shaping it such that the liquid returning to the can after the drinking process is finished does not come in contact with the underside of the lid and thus with the outer wall of the beverage can, which would lead to contamination of the can and possibly of the user. The lid based on the invention is so shaped, however, that it positively prevents liquid leakage. No tool is required to install this lid since it is simply placed on the upper edge of the top section. Because of the special shape of the raised stop, the lid fits onto the upper edge, whereby the necessary seal is achieved by the edge stop.

[0014] A special embodiment of the lid is adapted to conventional metal beverage can dimensions, whereby the top section and the drinking section possess essentially circular inner cross sections. Thus, no special attention is required when emplacing the lid onto the beverage can since the lid may simply be placed on the upper can rim independent of its angle with the beverage can.

[0015] In an advantageous embodiment, the lower area of the top section expands conically, whereby several vertical, separated raised stops are positioned in this area. Thus, the lid may be used with various beverage cans that have differing diameters of their upper edge. The lid is pressed onto any particular can to that point where it engages with the edge stop with the proper diameter below the upper can rim.

[0016] If large quantities of lids based on the invention must be transported and properly stored, an embodiment form in which the diameter of the upper end of the drinking portion is slightly smaller than the lower opening of the top section is particularly useful. It is thus possible to stack several lids, whereby good agreement between the upper and the lower end of the lids ensures that a stack of consisting of many lids may be stored in vertical position. Such stacks may also be placed in suitable dispensing devices.

[0017] The desired level of convenience may be increased during the use of such a lid if, in an evolved embodiment, the drinking section possess a conical shape expanding upwards.

[0018] In other embodiments, the inner cross-section of the drinking section is essentially identical to the inner cross-section in the area of the edge stop. It is just as possible to shape the entire outer wall of the lid to be cylindrical, with constant diameter. The latter embodiment shape is particularly suited to the application of advertising on the outer wall of the lid. Thus, the lid may perform a second function in that it is produced as a separate advertising medium. For example, an organizer of an outdoor gathering may imprint his logo or the logos of those sponsoring the gathering on the lids that are then distributed as a supplement to suitable beverage cans. The anticipated advertising effect is very strong since the user has the advertisement right before his eyes several times as he drinks from the beverage can.

[0019] In another evolved embodiment, the upper edge stop of the top section is conical in order to fit on can rims of various sizes. The normal tolerances of the beverage can are thus compensated, so that a tight seal is achieved in any event between the edge stop and the can rim. The entire lid consists preferably of plastic, thus enabling simple and cheap manufacture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Further advantages, details, and developments result from the following description of advantageous embodiments of the invention with reference to the illustrations, which show:

[0021]FIG. 1 a perspective view of a lid based on the invention;

[0022]FIG. 2 a partial cutaway view of a first embodiment of the lid;

[0023]FIG. 3 a partial cutaway view of the lid as in FIG. 2, positioned on a beverage can;

[0024]FIG. 4 partial cutaway views of three embodiment examples of the lid.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025]FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a lid 1 based on the invention, whereby the view perspective is so chosen that one may view through a vertically-oriented lid. The lid 1 essentially consists of a top section 2 and a drinking section 3. Further details of the lid may be taken from the following description of the embodiment examples shown in FIGS. 2 through 4.

[0026]FIG. 2 shows a partial cutaway view of a first embodiment of the lid 1. The top section 2 possesses an upper edge stop 4 by means of which the inner diameter of the top section is compressed inward. In the embodiment example shown in FIG. 2, the upper edge stop 4 is shaped conically, whereby the lid may be used on various beverage cans that possess varying upper edge diameters. In the embodiment example shown here, the lower area of the top section 2 is also slightly conical. In the lower area of the top section are two raised stops 5, whereby because of the conical shape of the top section 2, the inner diameter resulting in the area of the upper raised stop is smaller than the inner diameter in the area of the lower raised stop. The drinking section 3 is cylindrical in this embodiment example, whereby the drinking section 3 rests directly on the edge stop 4, and the cross-sectional area resulting there is maintained along its entire length.

[0027]FIG. 3 shows a cutaway view of a section of the embodiment example of the lid 1 already shown in FIG. 2, whereby it is placed on a beverage can 6. The Figure shows only an upper wall section 7 and a part of the lid section 8 of the beverage can. An opening is provided in the lid section 8 through which the liquid may exit the beverage can 6. The lid section 8 is connected with the can wall 7 by means of a convex-outward, creased can wall 10. The top section 2 overlaps the can rim 10, whereby the raised stop 5 engages under the can rim 10, thus securing the lid 1 to the beverage can 6. The distance between the edge stop 5 and the upper edge stop 4 of the lid is so selected that the can rim 10 with engaged raised stop 5 rests on the upper edge stop 4, so that a largely leak proof connection is established between the lid and the beverage can. The conical shape of the edge stop 4 and the positioning of several raised stops 5 allows adaptive shaping of the lid for various cans, or optionally for dimensions, at least for a particular beverage can so that it conforms to normally-occurring tolerances. As soon as the lid 1 is anchored to the can rim 10, the liquid flowing out of the drinking opening 3 is led away from the drinking section 3 so that the lid 1 forms a drinking glass in connection with the lid section 8. FIG. 3 also clearly shows that the narrowing of the cross-section caused by the edge stop 4 is adapted dimensionally to the beverage can so that the edge stop 4 projects slightly above the can rim 10. This ensures that the liquid flowing back along the inner wall of the drinking section 3 after the user stops drinking does not flow between the can wall 10 and the lid section 2, but rather flows back through the lid section 8 of the beverage can, and then may flow through the opening 9. This produces a pleasant side effect of the lid, which may also be used to refill a beverage can as necessary from a large-volume container without having to insert a funnel or similar supplemental aid into the opening 9.

[0028]FIG. 4 shows partial cutaway views of various embodiment examples of the lid. Only a cross-section through the lid wall is shown, whereby a specialist will recognize that the lid is preferably a circular cylinder with constant wall profile in order to fit with conventional round beverage cans. It is also conceivable, however, to adapt the cross-section of the lid to other cross-sectional shapes, such as square cross-sections, for example. The center wall profile shown in FIG. 4 again concerns the embodiment example of the lid 1 already described in detail in FIGS. 2 and 3. The wall profile shown to its right describes an evolved embodiment example of a lid 11, whereby the upper portion of the drinking section 3 is expanded conically. Thus, the drinking properties may be improved even more. Across from it on the left, the wall profile demonstrates a third embodiment example of a lid 12 in which the outer wall of the drinking section 3 and lid section 2 runs continuously, so that the lid 12 looks like a symmetrical cylinder from without. With this embodiment example, it is especially easily possible to install advertising elements of the outside of the lid, which may be printed on, or impressed into, the wall.

[0029] Many evolved embodiment examples are possible. The lid may advantageously be made of plastic, whereby known injection molding methods may be used during manufacture. 

1. A lid (1) for beverage cans (6) that have a top section (8) with an opening (9) and a convex upper can rim (10), whereby the lid includes: a lid section (2) that overlaps the upper can rim, whereby the can rim (10) surrounds an upper edge stop, and whereby at least one raised stop (5) clamps the lid section to the can rim (10); and a drinking section (3), that is beaker-shaped at the top and is formed to the lid section (2), characterized in that the upper edge stop (4) is conical in shape, in that the upper area of the lid section is increasingly convex inwards and eventually becomes a circular opening whose inner diameter is smaller than the diameter of the upper can rim (10).
 2. A lid as in claim 1, characterized in that the lid section (2) and the drinking section (3) possess essentially circular inner cross-sections.
 3. A lid as in claim 2, characterized in that the lid section (2) expands conically inwards in its lower area, and that several vertical, separated raised stops (5) are provided in this area.
 4. A lid as in one of claims 1 through 3, characterized in that the outer dimensions of the upper end of the drinking section (3) are slightly smaller than the lower opening of the lid section (2), so that a large number of lids (1) may be stacked together.
 5. A lid as in one of claims 1 through 3, characterized in that the drinking section (3) has a conical shape expanding upwards.
 6. A lid as in one of claims 1 through 3, characterized in that the inner cross-section of the drinking section (3) is roughly the same as the inner cross-section in the area of the edge stop (4).
 7. A lid as in one of claims 1 through 6, characterized in that its outer wall is cylindrical with constant outer diameter.
 8. A lid as in one of claims 1 through 7, characterized in that it is made of plastic.
 9. A lid as in one of claims 1 through 8, characterized in that its dimensions are designed to fit conventional beverage cans (6) of non-ferrous metal with a pull-tab opening (9) in the top section (8).
 10. A lid as in one of claims 1 through 9, characterized in that its outer wall may also serve as an advertising medium for text or image elements. 